CHICO — Singing "We Shall Overcome" and marching through downtown Chico, more than 200 people participated in the Beloved Annual Community Celebration to honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr.

The celebration began in city plaza with music performances at 3 p.m. Sunday before people marched through downtown and finished at Trinity Methodist Church. Skits, speeches and food rounded out the event at the church.

The event has been a celebration of Martin Luther King Day for 30 years.

"It means a day of remembrance, remembering a man who gave so much, including his life," said Pastor Vince Haynie of Rhema Word of Faith Empowerment Ministries.

This year, event organizers began in the plaza with hip hop and other popular music to bring more young people out, he said.

Two 11-year-olds, Kiara Coleman and Viviana Contreras, asked to sing a song before the group marched to Trinity Methodist Church.

The girls passed the microphone to each other for different parts of the song "Warrior" by Demi Lovato and drew applause and cheers from the crowd as they sang.

The girls were happy to perform for the crowd and honor King's memory, they said.